“Pray, ma’am,” said he, after a pause, “might you be any relation to a young lady friend of mine that’s staying here named Minnie Fay?”

“A little,” said Lady Dalrymple; which remark set the Baron again wondering.  And he was about to return to the charge with another and more direct question, when his attention was arrested by the sound of footsteps on the stairs; so he sat bolt upright, and stared hard at the door.  There was the rustle of a dress.  The Baron rose.  So did the Reverend Saul Tozer.  The lady appeared.  It was not Minnie.  It was Mrs. Willoughby.

Now during the Baron’s visit there had been some excitement up stairs.  The ladies had told the servants that they were not at home to any callers that day.  They had found with consternation how carelessly the Baron had brushed aside their little cobweb regulation, and had heard his voice as he strove to keep up an easy conversation with their aunt.  Whereupon an earnest debate arose.  They felt that it was not fair to leave their aunt alone with the Baron, and that one of them should go to the rescue.  To Mrs. Willoughby’s amazement, Minnie was anxious to go.  To this she utterly objected.  Minnie insisted, and Mrs. Willoughby was in despair.  In vain she reproached that most whimsical of young ladies.  In vain she reminded her of the Baron’s rudeness on a former occasion.  Minnie simply reminded her that the Baron had saved her life.  At last Mrs. Willoughby actually had to resort to entreaties, and thus she persuaded Minnie not to go down.  So she went down herself, but in fear and trembling, for she did not know at what moment her voluble and utterly unreliable sister might take it into her head to follow her.

The Baron, who had risen, full of expectation, stood looking at her, full of disappointment, which was very strongly marked on his face.  Then he recollected that Minnie was “not at home,” and that he must wait till she did get home.  This thought, and the hope that he would not now have long to wait, brought back his friendly glow, and his calm and his peace and his good-will toward the whole human race, including the ladies in the room.  He therefore bowed very low, and, advancing, he made an effort to shake hands; but Mrs. Willoughby had already known the dread pressure which the Baron gave, and evaded him by a polite bow.  Thereupon the Baron introduced the Reverend Saul Tozer.

The Baron took out his watch, looked at it, frowned, coughed, put it back, and then drummed with his fingers on the arm of the chair.

“Will it be long, ma’am,” asked the Baron, “before Minnie gets back?”

“She is not out,” said Mrs. Willoughby.

“Not out?”

“No.”

“Why, the thundering fool of a servant went and told me that she was not at home!”

“She is at home,” said Mrs. Willoughby, sweetly.

“What! at home!” cried the Baron.  “And does she know I’m here?”